Case report · Clear aligners (Invisalign)
Severe Deep Bite + Impacted Canine Corrected Without Extractions
12 Year-old male presents Class II malocclusion with severe impinging deep bite, skeletal deep bite facial pattern, hypodivergent, 6 mm overjet, proclined incisors, convex profile, crowding, and unerupted upper left canine.
- Patient
- Teen (11–20), male
- Classification
- Class II div 1
- Active treatment
- 36 months
- Published
- September 13, 2026

Presentation
Chief complaint. "I want to to fix my overbite."
Diagnosis. Class II malocclusion with a severe 80–100% impinging skeletal deep bite, hypodivergent mandibular plane angle, 6 mm overjet, convex profile, proclined maxillary and mandibular incisors, mild maxillary crowding, and moderate mandibular crowding. Excessive overjet initially prevented anterior bite-turbo placement, and additional space was required for eruption of the permanent canines.
My goal was to open the severe impinging deep bite, create space for the upper left canine, and achieve a functional bite without extracting permanent teeth. His remaining growth was central to the treatment plan. I started with a rapid palatal expander to widen the upper arch and create space for the permanent canines. Once adequate room was available, the upper left canine erupted successfully. Because his excessive overjet prevented effective contact with anterior bite turbos, I placed bite turbos on the lower second premolars. These helped separate the bite and were intended to allow the other posterior teeth to erupt, helping open his severe deep bite. I chose Invisalign to provide anchorage and control lower incisor inclination during Class II elastic treatment. His lower incisors were already proclined, so avoiding further forward tipping was an important treatment priority. In this case, we were able to bring the lower incisors into a more upright position while using Class II elastics, reducing their inclination from 106 to 102 degrees. I used partial sequential distalization of the upper teeth to improve the dental relationship, but relied primarily on his remaining mandibular growth, supported by Class II elastics, to complete the Class II correction. This combined approach allowed us to bring the canine into the arch, improve his profile, and achieve a functional Class I bite while improving incisor inclination and avoiding permanent tooth extractions.
Records
Before — Intraoral Photos
After — Intraoral Photos
Before — Profile Photo
After — Profile Photo
Before — Lateral Cephalometric Radiograph
After — Lateral Cephalometric Radiograph
Before — Panoramic Radiograph
After — Panoramic RadiographMeasurements
| Measure | Norm | Pre | Post |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNA | 82 | 86 | 85 |
| SNB | 80 | 78 | 79 |
| ANB | 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Wits | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| SN-MP | 32 | 28 | 25 |
| U1-SN | 102 | 110 | 100 |
| L1-MP | 90 | 106 | 102 |
| Overjet (mm) | 2–3 | 6 | 2 |
| Overbite (mm) | 2–3 | 4 | 2 |
Treatment
Objectives. Correct the severe deep bite and Class II relationship, reduce overjet and incisor protrusion, create space for eruption of the permanent canines, resolve crowding, level and align both arches, and achieve a functional Class I occlusion.
Plan. Expand the maxilla to gain arch space, then place bite turbos on the lower second premolars to open the severe deep bite because the excessive overjet prevented anterior bite-turbo placement. Sequentially distalize the maxillary dentition to approximately a half-cusp Class II relationship, create space for the permanent canines to erupt, and use remaining growth with Class II elastics to complete the Class II correction. Level and align both arches and finish to a Class I occlusion.
Appliances and materials
- Rapid Palatal Expander
- Invisalign — Bite ramps bonded on the L5s to help extrude back teeth and unlock lower jaw
- Class II elastics — 3/16 Heavy
Outcome
The upper left canine erupted successfully after adequate space was created. Mandibular growth helped complete the Class II correction, increased lower facial height, and brought the jaw forward to improve the profile. A Class I occlusion was achieved with improved vertical proportions and alignment. Treatment took longer than anticipated due to COVID-related interruptions.
Retention
- Fixed U2-2 permanent retainer
- Fixed U3-3 permanent retainer
- Invisalign Vivera retainers to be worn at night
Case reports are shared with patient authorisation. Individual results vary.